Loving our pets on Valentine's Day

We love our pets as beloved family members, and want to make them feel like family.

We let them sleep with us on our beds, give them gifts on holidays, and we love to offer them special treats.

Please don't poison your pet this Valentine's Day.

Chocolate is reportedly a healthy treat for humans -- if eaten in moderation, and especially if it's dark chocolate. It's practically a vitamin. A few dark chocolate mini-morsels a day keeps my serotonin and spirits in harmony with the universe.

Not so for your pets: chocolate is a poison for our furry pals.

Here are some foods that are especially dangerous and need to be totally off-limits. Just say no to giving your pet any of the following:

• chocolate (all forms)

• coffee (all forms)

• candy and gum with xylitol

• bread dough, yeast dough, any batter with raw eggs

• macadamia nuts

• raisins and grapes

• rich, fatty, or spicy foods

• alcohol beverages

• avocado

• moldy or spoiled foods

• salt, onions, garlic, onion or garlic powder

Play it safe. If your dog or cat consumes any potentially harmful foods or products:

For other ways to protect pets from common household dangers, read: A Poison Safe Home, on the website of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Pets ( ASPCA): http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/a-poison-safe-home .